Best 140mm Case Fan The Ultimate Roundup For Your Computer

Looking for the best 140mm Case fan? Sounds easy enough to find in practice. The reality, is that everyone is typically looking for something different in a case fan. Some want the 140mm fan that pushes the most airflow (CFM), looking for the best quiet 140mm case fan, and some are just looking a good affordable 140mm fan.

We’ve broken up our list to accommodate all of these buyer profiles.

As part of our best case fan series; we also have a full rundown of the best 120mm case fans should you want a more standard size fan. Additionally we have a post to find the best 200mm fan if you’re looking for a larger fan size.

Best 140mm Case Fan Table of Contents

Introduction

In a gaming rig, you’d want to make sure that everything is working and that you keep everything at low temperature. After all, this does not just take a toll on your equipment it would affect the performance if your system is not well ventilated.

Isn’t a CPU cooler enough? In general, the processor tends to overheat and halt the system. However, there are still other components that conduct heat that could affect the computer overall.

There are a few components that need to be cooled while your computer is running, namely CPUs, graphics cards, chipsets and hard disk drives. Now the first two components won’t be that of a problem since they always come with their own cooling system.

What about the other two? Well, that’s where your case fans come to work. Case fans are the ones that take care of the heat from within the casing either pushing air in or pulling the air out.

And this is the reason why we created this list on Best 140mm case fans. We wanted to break it down as to which is the most affordable to the highest ability for cooling.

Now in the market, we have several things to consider; the price, fan speed, airflow, static pressure and noise level.

Airflow Vs. Static Pressure.

If you need cooling for an open area like pushing air towards the motherboard and pulling hot air out then you have to consider a fand with high Airflow, these fans are good at pushing/pulling air, and this is measured in CFM (Cubic feet/minute).

On the other hand fans with high static pressure is best used for radiators and CPU coolers, but there are cases where you can still use them as case fans. When you need to put fans to push air through the hard drive cradle or if there are obstructions like air filters or metal grilles with tiny holes.

A lot to bear with bearings.

In the world of cooling fans, there are a lot of bearings that you will encounter. You have sleeve bearings, ball bearings, and Fluid dynamic bearings. All of these bearings have one thing in common; it allows your fan blade to spin. No spin, no air (pretty simple concept right?).

To further explain things, a sleeve bearing is the most inexpensive and widely used bearings for fans. However, it tends to stop working all of a sudden. Thus, the need for something more reliable.

In comes the ball bearing. Unlike your sleeve bearing, the ball bearing does not stop unexpectedly and lasts longer than the sleeve bearing. It still uses either grease or oil-based lubricants to keep things running smooth.

The last type of bearing is the Fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) or Hydrodynamic bearings (HDB). These are modified sleeve bearings. These bearings use pressurized fluid or gas between surfaces to avoid friction. If you are looking for longevity and reliability, I will go for FDB or HDB bearings.

Overall, if you’re interested in learning more about bearing types – I would recommend watching the video below:

Best 140mm Case Fan – Top 3 CFM Fans

We begin our Best 140mm case fan list with our top choices for the 140mm fan that has the most amount of airflow.

All of these fans are great in their own right, and are often the fans I choose as I like pushing a lot of air through my builds.

3. Fractal Venturi HF-14 140mm fan

To start off our list Best 140mm case fan list. We have the Fractal Design Venturi HF-14 140mm fan.

Again, if you intend to use a fan in a relatively open space Airflow is best to consider.

If you are looking for a premium fan, I would be looking for a fan made by a company specializing in computer parts…fans being one of them!

Equipped with a counter-balancing magnet in the hub that reduces the axial tension on the bearing, further protecting the longevity of the bearing

Dense, sturdy construction, made from high-grade glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic polymer with fan geometry that is optimized for a good balance between static pressure and maximum airflow, resulting in good performance in all usage scenarios

Stator struts are angled perpendicular to the blades, helping to reduce noise commonly emitted when the blades pass the struts. In effect, minimal noise that may be emitted will be constant and therefore almost inaudible to the ear

Fractal design is an award-winning company specializing in creating cooling systems for computers as well as power supplies. I have to say their products are well-made.

The FD-FAN-VENT-HF14-BK AKA “Venturi” is a 140mm “full of cool air”. This fan is designed to have balanced airflow and static pressure 118.2 CFM and 0.95 mmH2o (pretty “cool” huh?). The blades are aerodynamically designed to mimic the wings of a plane for better airflow.

Fan speeds for this fan cannot be controlled since this is not PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). You can install the voltage reducer that comes with it or a fan controller if you want to have lower RPMs.

As for the noise level, it would more likely come from the air being blown into your casing instead from the motor itself. Another great feature of this 140mm fan is that it has detachable rubber mounts. You might say, well that’s common, sure! But they added a smaller rubber mount that would allow you to use the fan in a 120mm slot.

Fractal design released an almost identical fan, but it is HP (High pressure). So, be careful picking one for your case. Both fans have fluid dynamic bearings so you can be sure you get a fan that can last for a long time.

In conclusion, there are times you need to buy stuff with a price tag. Your gaming rig is expensive so might as well spend money on reliable fans. That’s it! A premium quality fan worthy of being placed on the top 3 of our best 140mm case fan – CFM list.

2. Cougar Vortex 140mm Fan

Our number 2 best 140mm case fan for airflow, is from Cougar.

This fan can be placed almost anywhere in your CPU case, even in a spot where obstructions are present.

If you have a gaming rig or planning to build one, a cooling system is one key factor to consider. Why, because all your components inside will produce heat. Especially during an intense gaming session. You don’t want to have your system halting on you in the middle of the game right?

The more reason why companies are continuously developing better case fans. And Cougar is one of the companies that has dedicated themselves providing gamers “Real Gear”.

The Vortex CFV14 HP is one of their fans that caught our attention, so I included this in the list of best 140mm case fans for a review.

When I checked the specifications, I immediately noticed that this fan could be used virtually anywhere, it has an airflow of 70.5 -119.8 CFM. This 140mm fan also has a static pressure of 1.38 (mm H2O) which is respectable. Even in a tight spot like in front of the hard drive cradle or places where you have air filters this can still keep your components cool.

With fan speeds of 800-1500 RPM, it is silent, producing only 19.2 dbA for noise level. It uses isolation pads to reduce vibration, streamline-shaped blades and hydrodynamic blades. So even in the longest period of your gaming session, you would barely hear noise from this fan.

1. Noctua NF-A14 140mm Fan

We chose this fan to be the number one on our Best 140mm case fan for Airflow because of its amazing specifications along with the company that makes it.
Believe it or not, it is not that expensive either!

Noctua dedicated itself providing products specialized in cooling fans. It is a company well regarded by enthusiasts and has received quite a few awards. The company has been creating CPU fans and Case fans since 2005. So, you can only expect the best from them – so it is no surprise they are at the top of our best 140mm case fans – Airflow Showdown.

The NF-A14 is a 140mm fan that can push air in, even in the worst places like the front of your CPU case where the air filters and metal grilles can get in the way.

The airflow of this fan is 158 CFM at a max fan speed of 3,000 RPM. At this rate, it is just inevitable to have noise. The noise level at max is 41.3 dB(A), but if you have your headphones on would you even notice it when you are playing games?

For tight spots and well-obstructed areas of your case it can still deliver sufficient air, it has a static pressure of 10.52 mm H2O – which is an astoundingly high pressure for a case fan.

I compared it to a fan built for static pressure. Comparing the static pressure of the Corsair SP140, and the difference is huge, the SP140 only has 1.17 mm H20 compared to 10.52 mm H₂O of the NF-A14.

This fan is also guaranteed to last since they are built with SSO2 bearings that guarantee you stability and longevity.

As for the price, well it is totally up to you if you will spend around $28.00 on a case fan. The investment is pretty nominal after you have likely spent hundreds (if not thousands) on your custom gaming PC.

Best Quiet 140mm Case Fan

1. Noctua NF-A14 ULN 140mm Fan

If you want a whisper quiet 140mm fan, the Noctua NF-A14 ULN is just right for you.

There is no need to cover any other 140mm fans in this section, the Noctua is the clear winner for the best quiet 140mm case fan category.

The Noctua NF-A14 is built for the people who love to play games in a quiet environment. Of course, the game itself can be loud, but if your fans are loud, it can be a bit distracting.

So the best solution is to get case fans that do not have that annoying, whining noise while your gaming rig is at max settings. Unlike the other 140mm fans, we reviewed earlier this is our best quiet 140mm case fan, period.

The noise level this fan produces is just 9.1 – 11.9 dbA, and believe me; it is silent. The fans used SSO2 bearings and extra-soft silicone framing to reduce a significant amount of vibrations while the blades are spinning.

It also used Noctua’s advanced Smooth Commutation Drive system to make sure it is running smooth, eliminating torque variations and switching noises.

As for the overall performance, the fans are still useful in maintaining low temperature by delivering ample amount of airflow at 39-46 CFM. Of course, you can’t have your cake and eat it too, low noise means lower air flow. The fan speed varies from 650 to 800 RPM depending on the BIOS.

You can say it’s a bit subjective, and I am a bit of a nitpicker but, I don’t like the color of these fans. Although, the fans cannot be seen from the outside once installed, I still like the colors matched with the case used per build.

Top 3: Best 140mm Case Fan Cheap but good!

Look, we get it – if you’re building a cheap Gaming build you want to get the most bang for your buck.

For you, we have put together our top 3 best 140mm case fan list that are not only affordable, but offer very respectable specs without bruising your wallet.

3. Kingwin CF-014LB 140mm Fan

We begin our affordable & best 140mm case fan list with a fan from Kingwin.

While you may not have heard of them, Kinwin has been producing computer components since 1992. Priced now at under $7.00 we have the Kingwin CF-014LB.

There are still inexpensive fans that can still provide you the cooling your precious gaming rig requires.

The Kingwin CF-014LB is one of those fans as this 140mm fan has a maximum fan speed of 1,000 RPM.

Even with low RPM, it can still push 58 CFM of air into your system with its eleven fan blades, and since it operates in low RPMs, it is relatively silent with just 23 dBA. The RPM, however, can be controlled by the BIOS of your motherboard if you use the four pin adapter or you can use a fan controller and power it using the three pin connector.

It has a beautiful black frame with black blades and a nice touch of blue for the logo. This 140mm fan would be ideal for cases with a black finish and blue or red LED lights.

Now no one would like to buy something and expect it to be broken after a year of usage. The Kingwin CF-014LB is built to last this can run up to 100,000 hours (11 years). These case fans are high in performance fans with high reliability. The bearings are a custome built system, I’m not sure entirely what type of bearing type they are, however.

Simply put, this fan is of great value for your money, and would be good adding to our list of the best 140mm case fans.

2. NZXT FN142 140mm Fan

Coming in at number 2 of our best 140mm case fan – Affordable list is the NZXT RF-RN142-RB.

This 140mm fan is a good choice if you are looking for a fan with good specs at an excellent price.

Most of the times price can be deceiving, you often see items that are of high value, but later on, you find out that it is not the best quality. With the NZXT FN V2, this is not the case. These case fans are less than $10.00 at the time of this review, and you could say it is a bit under priced.

At 1,200 RPM this can still cool your system quite well, the airflow rating for this fan is at 50CFM. The bearings for this case fan is made of rifle bearings, so they are durable, not to mention quiet.

Vibration also causes noise, so NZXT included anti-vibration pads with this case fan so it reduces unwanted vibrations when the fans are in use.

As mentioned, this case fan can run at 1,200 RPM with a noise level of 21 dBA. The design of this fan is not bad since it can blend in with most of the casing in the market having black frames and white fans. Could have been great if they have LEDs included.

There are lots of fans out there, and this one goes to our list of best 140mm case fans since they are indeed extremely affordable while not skimping on quality.

1. Rosewill 140mm Case Fan – 2 Pack

Looking for cheap fans that do not hurt your pocket? The Rosewill 140mm case fan sells for around $13 for 2 on Amazon.

So your cooling fans need replacement, probably the bearings gave out. So now your fans are annoyingly loud. Or it’s no longer cooling the inside components of your CPU well enough.

You needed something with good airflow, but it needs to be affordable. Worry not, since the Rosewill RFBF-131411 gives you not just one but two 140mm fans for just around $13.00.

Now, this is not just about the price you still get quality from these fans; this uses Fluid Dynamic bearings so they can last longer than the stock fans you’re likely replacing.

The max airflow for this fan is 48.7 CFM at 1,200RPM, not best in class, but still decent. Even with high RPMs it still stays quiet at 20-25 dBA.

You get your money’s worth for this fan, it is the most affordable fan on this list and that is the reason why we included this as our best 140mm case fan – Affordable showdown.

Perhaps the things I can cite as a problem is the length of cable, and the lack of LED as well as its straightforward design, but that’s not a total deal breaker. If you wanted to have fans that can just easily dissipate the heat inside your chassis, then this is a good choice.

Top 4: Overall Best 140mm Case Fan

Lastly, this list is a compilation of the best 140mm case fans that are very good at all things, but not best in class in any category.

If you’re looking for an all around great fan, these are the ones to choose, and you won’t be disappointed by any of them.

I didn’t include some of the fans that have already been part of earlier lists. If I were to add some of the aformentioned fans to this 140mm case fan list, the Noctua NF-A14 & the Cougar Vortex would no doubt be up near the top (but lacking RGB lighting)

4. Corsair HD140 140mm Fan

If you want high performance with aesthetic appeal with the use of LED lighting to flash up your build, then this case fan by Corsair is a thing to buy.

Independent RGB LED lighting: Each of the 12 RGB LEDs, built directly into the fan frame, are independent, unlocking unique customization and lighting effects

This product is intended as an expansion of CORSAIR's HD140 RGB LED three fan kits that include the RGB lighting hub and lighting controller. The full RGB functionality of this product requires a RGB lighting hub and lighting controller

PWM Control: 600-1350 PWM rpm control range. Fan Size-140mm x 25mm.

High static pressure: Provides improved performance over standard case fans. System Requirements-Motherboard with an open standard 4-pin fan connector

Corsair is known as one of the premium brands in cooling systems; They have been producing excellent cooling systems in the past. No doubt the HD140 is one of them, and so, it got included in our best 140mm case fan review.

Aesthetically speaking people have been using RGB lighting along with anything they can put it on, we have RGB Bluetooth speakers, LED strips for TVs and a lot more. So I am not surprised if this is also RGB is used with case fans.

The price of these fans though is not inexpensive, at the time of this review the Corsair HD140 sells at around $33.00.

Well, a lot of features can justify the price of this case fan. The airflow for this fan is substantial at 74 CFM, with the fan speed at 1350 RPM. Even with the ample airflow, it still has a low noise level of 28.6 dBA at full RPM.

The HD140 uses a SSO2 bearing that makes it run smoothly with minimal noise and a long lifespan.

Another good thing about this fan is the static pressure of 1.85 mmH20 so even if it is used in tight spots or areas with obstructions for airflow it will still work great.

The only downside for this fan is that the LED can only be controlled with the control hub included. Without the control hub, the lights won’t even turn on.

3. Corsair AF140 140mm Case Fan

Another Corsair fan made it to our list of Best 140mm case fan. This time it’s focused on Airflow and cost!

Another great addition to our list, the AF140 from Corsair is low-priced but with excellent quality and features. This fan has a max airflow of 67.8 CFM at 1150 RPM max fan speeds. Noise is not a big issue at 24dbA.

This fan is energy efficient, the starting voltage of the fan is only over 3V (3.3) and only 0.02A. Now at this rate, the fans will not be much help with cooling but its still a good to know information.

Even at 12 Volts and the fans reaching 1150 RPM the motors barely make noise. The noise is coming from the airflow more than the motor; this is because of the bearings it uses. The AF140 has hydraulic bearings reduce noise pretty well.

Did I not mention the price? this is by far the most affordable fan within our overall best 140mm case fan grouping.

You have the option of 4 colors in LED lighting when you purchase, Red (my favorite), Blue, Purple and White.

I should say though; Corsair has come a long way in providing excellent computer equipment; although they started in RAMs, they are now able to produce great fans.

2. NZXT Aer RGB140 140mm Case Fan

Another fan for the LED fanatics out there. We have the NZXT Aer RGB 140.

Fortunately, the NZXT fan has stopped a streak of Corsair fans from appearing in our overall best 140mm case fan list.

To satisfy the gamer in me, I have put the NZXT as our number 2 overall Best 140mm case fan – mainly because of the customization this fan offers.

The Aer RGB140 from NZXT is probably a better option compared to the previous HD140 since it does not depend on a control hub to get the LEDs to light up. NZXT has a software called Cam to customize the way the fans light up.

The colors are amazing and with CAM digital controller customization is almost endless. The controller saves your RGB settings (even animation) in memory so you’re good to go at next boot up!

An optional control hub (Hue+) is needed if you have a series of fans interconnected, but that’s an entirely different story.

Currently priced at around $35, these fans are also packed with features that justify the price range (after all NZXT is what of the premium makers of cooling systems). The airflow is 30.39 – 91.19 CFM while the static pressure is 0.17 – 1.52mm-H2O. This is a very impressive range of airflow which helps with sound when you’re not running your PC hot.

The fan speed is from 500-1,500 RPM and can be a bit loud with max RPMs since the noise level is 22 – 33dBA. It uses fluid dynamic bearings, and that is probably the reason for the added noise. Nevertheless, you can expect these to last a long time.

1. Corsair ML140 Pro LED 140mm Fan

For our final PC fan, the Corsair ML140 is our choise for the overall best 140mm case Fan.

Corsair is at it again, another great fan for people who want to make sure their system is COOL.

Premium brand, premium quality, the Corsair ML140 has the airflow of 20 – 97 CFM with fan speeds that can reach up to 2,000 RPM. This fan uses a 4-pin connector, and the BIOS of your motherboard automatically controls the speed of the fans.

The ML140 uses levitation bearings that reduce friction so you can be sure this fan will last. Noise from the fan motor is significantly reduced by this bearing. Of all our best 140mm case fans, this is the only fan that uses magnetic levitation bearings – which will come with a price.

The downside of this fan is that it can be a bit loud every time the fans are at max speeds, due to airflow. The noise level can reach 37dbA; for some it can be annoying, especially as it’s very close to the peak CFM of our number 2 overall 140mm case fan the NZXT Aer.

However, some people would prioritize Airflow over noise levels.

Unlike the AF series that is focused more on airflow and the SP series inclined to static pressure, the ML series is a balanced case fan that can be used for both purposes.

The maximum static pressure for this fan is 3.0 mmH2o so you can indeed use it as a radiator or CPU fan. The Corsair ML140 offers a very respectable balance between offering great airflow but pairing this with impressive static pressure as well (more than almost any other on this list).

If you feel that the price of the fans are a little steep, there is a 2 pack available that does away with the LED lighting to save you some cash (if you’re getting 2 fans that is). Follow the link above, and you can choose the 2 pack instead.

The frame on the fan is black and has a clear blade, there are three colors choices for the LEDs, red, blue and white. In addition, there is also one that does not have LEDs installed (as mentioned the 2 pack).

One very minor part is the grey supports of this 140mm fan – does not match the same color scheme of the other colors on this fan – so you will have to be aware of that.

In conclusion, this fan offers very high scores for almost all of the specs you would be looking – I’m sure you can see why it is our overall best 140mm case fan.

Conclusion…

Well, that’s it for our Best 140mm case fans. I hope we were able to provide you some insights that can help you decide which case fans are worth buying.

If you’re in the market for a great custom PC, check our our custom gaming builds for any price range.